KTM & Triumph 400cc Bikes Absorb GST Impact, Aprilia RS457 Gets Rs. 35K Benefits

The sudden revision of GST on motorcycles above 350 cc to 40 per cent had the potential to disrupt festive season buying but some of the biggest names in the two-wheeler industry have taken a very different route. Rather than transferring the added cost to the customer, KTM, Aprilia and Triumph have all chosen to absorb costs. KTM was among the quickest to declare that its popular 390 range – the Duke, RC and Adventure – would stay at existing ex-showroom prices. By absorbing the GST hike internally, the Austrian brand has ensured that buyers continue to access its offerings without paying a rupee extra. For KTM models below the 350 cc threshold including the 160 Duke, 200 Duke and 250 Duke, the GST cut has been directly passed on.

The Aprilia Tuono 457 continues at Rs. 3.95 lakh (ex-showroom Maharashtra) with Piaggio India taking on the full burden of the higher GST. The RS 457, meanwhile, comes with an even stronger deal. Its revised sticker sits at Rs. 4.35 lakh but buyers effectively save more than Rs. 35,000 through a combination of GST absorption worth Rs. 15,000 and a complimentary quickshifter valued at Rs. 20,500.

Triumph, together with Bajaj Auto, has adopted a similar stance on its 400 cc family. The Speed 400, Scrambler 400X, the Speed T4 and the recently launched Thruxton 400 all retain their pre-GST prices. This decision is particularly critical in India’s middle weight market where Triumph has rapidly built presence since 2023. Across the board, what could have been a dampener has been flipped into an opportunity. Another strong contender in the 450 cc space, Royal Enfield, has elected to up the prices. While the sub-350 cc lineup benefits from a price cut of up to Rs. 22,000, larger motorcycles in the 450 cc and 650 cc space now attract a GST-led increase – going up by as much as Rs. 29,486.

The Scram 440 witnesses a hike of up to Rs. 15,641, positioning it between Rs. 2.23 lakh and Rs. 2.31 lakh, ex-showroom. The Guerrilla 450 range follows suit with hikes of up to Rs. 18,479 – now priced from Rs. 2.56 lakh to Rs. 2.72 lakh. The Himalayan 450, meanwhile, takes the steepest jump, with a price rise of up to Rs. 21,682, placing its updated sticker tag from Rs. 3.05 lakh to Rs. 3.20 lakh, ex-showroom.